Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-03
CONTINUED from yesterday
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.
CHAPTER VII.
TERRIBLE srsPENsE.

those agonies OF suspense and intense al
formations Of hope and fear which were
harder to bear than all the exertions Of
Fuller and his compartment The local
freight train came as previously narrated,
and had drawn down the road to let the
extra follow it, and still give us room to
haul out above. Long and tedious was
the waiting. But when We almost des-
paired the extra came. But alasl on this
train, also, was red flag! On being
questioned az TO the meaning Of another
train, the conductor said that there were
too many cars and too great load for one
engine, and that another section was made
up, and would be along shortly. The de-
lay for these tWo trains had already been
little less than an hour; and here was a
third train still blocking the road before
US! How Andrews wished that he had
taken the risk Of running out in the face
Of the first extra and had tried to make,
at least, the station above! We could
easily have succeeded But now, In the
absence Of some telegraphic message-and
no report was made to that Office, while
Andrews hardly thought it prudent to tel
egraph for instructions 1T would be mad
ness 10 run out between the two sections
OF a belated train. II was better to wait,
even If that entailed the risk OF a fight.
For this possibility Andrews made ready;
he said TO Knight:
$50 back and tell the boys without
attracting attention, that We have to wait
for a train that IL behind time, and for
them to be ready to jump at the signal, II
needed, and fight
knight saunrered carelessly along down
the train, just as If he was tired to death
with waiting and did not know what to
do with himself and leaning against our
car, without turning his head or eyes
toward us, said in low tone which we
heard perfectly
"Boys, we have to wait for train that
is a little behind time, and the folks
around are getting mighty uneasy and
suspicious. BE ready to jump out, il you
are called, and let them have it hot and
fast"
We did not know how many OF the
"uneasy folks" there might be about;
and so unhearable had become the sus-
pense Of being shut up in that dark car,
and hearing the sound Of voices outside,
without being able to distinguish the
words or know what was going on, that a
command to spring out and begin deadly
strife would have been welcomed as a
relief, without much regard to numbers.
ready at any time the last hour Still we
carefully examined the printing Of every
revolver, and saw that reserve ammuni-
ton was in pockets within easy reach.
We did not intend, If 1t came to fight,
to shoot ut long range, but to close right
in, where every shot would be deadly.
That we could with the surprise of an
unexpected assault, and firing each time
to kill, have cleared the station OF four
times our number, have never doubted.
Could any situation be imagined by poet
or novelist more trying than that of this
carload Of Union soldiers shut up in the
midst Of Confederate trains!
But We We're not called upon to quiet
the 'uucasiness' outside, which was fully
as great rs Knight had described, in any
such summary manner. Andrews played
his part with SURPRISING skill The people
around, and especially the old switch ten
der. began to grumble something about
being sure that all was not right. 4 good
many questions were asked as to why
Fuller, with the regular train, was not
along by this time, and why the superin-
tendcnt of the road at Atlanta had not
sent notice of the powder train. Andrews
answered each suggested question very
briefly and plausibly, but without appear
ing ut all anxious about their opinion;
grumbled "A little about the bad manage
ment of a road that would allow its track
to be blocked at n time like this, and gave
accounts uf himself in the campo Beaure-
gard with an mir So confident and truthful
that no one ventured 10 question him. |
think there was only one thing, aside
from the dangerous delay, which he really
dreaded. He kept very near the tcle
graph office, and, without seeming to do
so, closely watched the operator The at
tempt to telegraph any kind of message
up the line would have probably brought
on an immediate collision.
Brown relates n curious little episode as
occurring here. He noticed man who
watched Andrews for short time, and
then, when no one else was near, stepped
close to him and handed him large and
seemingly well filled envelope Andrews
smiled and placed it in his vest pocket
Brown intended to ask about it, but more
pressing business put it out of his mind
Probably this was an incident of Andrews
contraband trade. and the package CON
tanned an order for goods, with the money
to pay for them
Fuller and his party were now not many
miles away and were making more rapid
time toward us than had ever been made
on that road before But we knew moth
ing OF that-supposed that we were still
an hour ahead OF any pursuit that could
he imagined. We had been at this place
one hour ana hVe minutes 1t seemed to
those smut up IN the box car nearer half a
day ana when the whistle OF train was
hearh, "hlch fortunately Tor us was first
from the north-not the pursuing train
from the south-it was about as welcome
rs the boom OF Mitchel's cannon, with
which we expected to be greeted in the
evening when our work was done, This
last extra came mp 10 the platform as the
Others had DONE and was at once ordered
by Andrews TO draw on down the road
that we might have room to go out. The
conductor oheyed without hesitation, and
this obstruction was removed.
1t only remained to adjust the switch so
that we might again get on the main
track This Andrews directed the old
switch tender to do, but he had been
getting in worse and worse humor for
the whole of the last hour; he had hung
up his keys, and now roughly declared
that he would not take them down again